On A Different Cybertron
by Shadowgirl119
Summary: AU. The Great War never started, Cybertronians have always considered organic lifeforms as beneath them. However, when they start importing some new slaves from Earth...
1. Chapter 1: And they came

On A Different Cybertron…

Chapter One

Note: I do not own the copyright to Transformers or its characters

**I REWROTE this entire chapter—hopefully its better know. Thank you to all those who reviewed and gave me suggestions (7/26/09)**

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Humans, filthy little organic creatures, they weren't really even qualified to be slaves. They died off by the hundreds from disease and accidents of the most minor kind—of course, it didn't help that they barely lived a vorn anyway. It seemed like you had just gotten them trained when they went and off-lined.

There only redeemable attribute was that they were small enough to reach into and clean small areas such as microarray panels. They also came in handy with menial household cleaning and upkeep…as long as they didn't have to lift anything—they really were fragile, sickly creatures.

Clerock eyed the newest transport of humans with disgust. At twenty one feet he easily towered over then, even more so since most of them were lying on the ground huddled in groups leaking lubricant out of their optics. The wind shifted just then blowing the dreadful smell of them up to his olfactory sensors. Clerock grimaced but continued with his assigned duty of making them presentable to the buying public.

He was grateful that that was all he had to do—he'd hadn't believed the stories of how stubborn and untrainable humans had been until he had helped out in the training center one day. The memories of their red organic fluids getting on him still made him cringe.

The incomprehensible babble of the human creatures increased as he reached down and grabbed some. He ignored them as he dropped his chosen slaves in the water pit and so started the arduous task of trying to make them useful.

* * *

Sam Witwicky was bored. Math class had never been interesting but today it seemed outright cruelty to make a teenager sit in the stuffy classroom learning about theorems while it was a perfectly good summer day outside. I wished something would break up this class, hell, this entire day.

All anyone wanted to talk about was prom or the terrorist attacks that had been taking place in California. Some claimed that attacks were done by large metal creatures and that they were taking humans off to be eaten. Some claimed they were done by aliens. It was all rubbish. My parents, of course, had freaked and were now insisting I stay home until the government had the 'situation under control.'

I doubt that any terrorist in their right mind would want to blow up a small town like Tranquility but since I wanted a car before I was forty I had to play the part of a good son. Which I why I would not only be spending the next hour trapped in this classroom but the whole day trapped inside. The first few days had been alright I had passed the time playing games on-line with Miles but I'd played all of the games so many times I could tell you exactly what would happen on every level and what kind of music would play. I almost groaned aloud at the thought of being forced to replay one of those games. Maybe, just maybe I could beg my parents to let me go with Miles to the movies.

I looked over at Miles; he was sitting two seats away looking as bored as I felt. I started writing him a note about my plan. I mean, if we both went to my parents and started pleading…

I had just finished my note when there was an explosion outside. The windows shattered sending glass flying everywhere. Everyone started screaming and covering their faces—then it went silent. We all looked at each other in shock. We started for the windows to see what was going on. Smoke was rising up from the football field and from several spots closer to town. I knew the moment I saw it we were screwed. It unfolded itself with loud clicks and whirls that were amplified in the silence. It was enormous, it was taller then the school. We all started backing away from windows. It looked right at us. It started talking steps towards us. Someone behind me started running, knocking chairs and desks out of their way; it broke the spell and everyone started running away.

The door became jammed with people trying to get out. I was trapped. I tried to force my way through but everybody was in a panic. I didn't want to get caught by those things. I didn't want to be eaten. Oh God no, oh no, nonono…

I glanced back to the window but I couldn't see it…then I heard the cracking and ripping sounds coming from above my head. I glanced up just in time to see a section of the roof being pulled off. The bright sunlight temporary blinded me. I heard screaming break out around me again and as I threw myself against the wall I realized I was screaming too. I was terrified, bumped into a table and almost on instinct dove under it. I started praying. Don't let it get my, Oh god, please, don't let it get me.

Debris was raining down all around me as more of the room was torn up. I spotted Miles lying on the floor.

"MILES…"

I motioned for him to come get under the table with me. Then I saw the rivulets of blood of the floor…no, no, no…he can't be dead…his eye stared back at me…NO.

"MILES!"

I screamed louder then I had ever before as the table I was hiding beneath was thrown aside. The creature thing grabbed me so tightly I couldn't even breathe much less move. It was only after I had been thrown in an overcrowded cage that I was able to break down and sob like a baby.

I don't know how long I sat in that cage, sobbing, terrified out of mind. More monsters came, they tore the school apart section by section. I tried not to look too closely at the people they threw in the cages that now littered the school grounds. Every now and again they would somebody up that was already dead or accidently squish one…they threw them in a pile on the basketball court with a sickening crunch…the first had been my history teacher; I had only recognized her mangled body because she was seven months pregnant. Miles was dead. I couldn't look at the pile. I didn't want to see his body smashed on the ground like a broken doll. After I couldn't look anymore, I wanted the screaming to stop. Why wouldn't the screaming stop?

* * *

I laid huddled in the corner of the cage. It was completely dark, I couldn't even see my hands when I held them up in front of my eyes. We were in some kind of cargo hold on a plane or ship. I didn't know where we were going.

They couldn't be aliens, everyone knew aliens weren't real. There was a port-hole looking thing on the other side of the hold. Some people had been yelling that they could see Earth; that we were in outer space. But it had to be nonsense. Only astronauts went into outer space—and aliens didn't exist. And if aliens didn't exist then I wasn't stuck in this cage, Miles wasn't dead, and everything was going to go back to normal when I woke up. I pinched myself to make myself wake up. Nothing changed…I curled up into a ball and started rocking back and forth.

Eventually small conversations broke out. Introductions were made but I couldn't remember anyone's name except for those that had gone to school with me. The conversations never lasted long and usually ended with someone breaking down crying. I thought it was stupid, of course, you were going to start going crazy if all you thought and talked about was what was going to happen to you—whether you were going to be skinned alive and eaten, or used for medical experiments, made into slaves, or used for entertainment,-but I wasn't going to think about that. Nope, nope, nope—this was a dream; I was going to wake up soon.

By the second day, my stomach was growling so hard I figured it could by heard yards away, I was so dehydrated I couldn't cry anymore and my throat felt like I had swallowed sand. I knew it wasn't a dream, I wasn't going to wake up, and there was no escaping from this nightmare. I think I would have gone insane had it not been for Rosemary. She sang lullabies and soft songs to us to past the time and rubbed my back like my mother used to when I was little.

After awhile people in different cages started talking to each other; eventually, we developed a system where one cage would tell another the name of the captured people inside it and they would in turn tell the next and add on the names of the people in their cage. There were far too many names to be remembered and nothing to write them down on so the were yelled out one at a time until everyone had heard the name and then the next name would be yelled out. The 'roll call' went on for hours. I listened eagerly and was grateful that I didn't hear my parents names called. I felt a little guilty that I hadn't been concerned about—but considering how much of a wreck I was I knew I needed to focus on getting myself through this alive.

We reached our destination after what seemed like an eternity of darkness. Our arrival was announced to us by the shaking and tumbling of the ship. One of the cages slipped out of position and crashed into the floor; screams of the dying filled the hold. A door was opened somewhere and light flooded the hold -the screams were soon quieted.

The conditions on the planet were only a little better then they had been during the trip. I stared out at the metallic wasteland through the cage bars. I was having a slight difficultly breathing—there was definitely less oxygen on this planet then on Earth and what little oxygen I had managed to get into my lungs only furthered the throbbing pain of the deep hand shaped bruise that encircled my chest.

We were left in our cages on the ground. Excitement swept through us as we saw a group of humans coming towards us. They wore long grey robes that were stained and torn and their hair was matted and ragged but they were humans. We all shouted questions at them—"What going on?" "Who are you?" "Help us, please!" "What are those monsters?" "What are they going to do to us?"

They didn't answer us. The group began to split and two of them came over to our cage with some buckets of weed-looking plants and water.

An older man in our cage grabbed the wrist of one of them, "PLEASE, what's going on? What is happening to us?"

They raised their eyes up from the ground; I saw lifelessness and defeat and pain in them; I shuttered and realized I didn't want to find out what they had seen to make them like that.

"Your slaves of Cybertron now…just do what the Robots say and be as useful as you can and you'll be alright." There voices were as hollow as their eyes. I wished I could believe them.


	2. Chapter 2

On A Different Cybertron…

Chapter Two

**Note: I made a few very slight revisions here and there in this chapter. (7/26/09)**

** Please review, I really like feedback**

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Didn't the sun ever set on the merciless planet? I didn't want to focus on the sun but I knew if I looked over to where the screams were coming from and I saw those robots picking up people and carrying them off to dark unknown places I would lose it. I couldn't look. I couldn't even admit to myself that I was not-not-looking. I wasn't strong enough—I inexplicitably knew that I was going to die on this alien planet.

Eventually the screams died down as the Robots finished pulling people out. They started going for the cages then. I watched with growing dread as one Robot came over and lifted the cage I was in off the ground. He swung us around wildly; those not lucky enough to be clinging to the bars went flying and smashed into their neighbors.

The water hit us like a load of bricks. It was freezing cold. We had only mere seconds before the entire cage was submerged. Panic reigned, people started clawing and pushing trying to find their way to the surface. I held on tight to the bars in my little corner as I felt the weightlessness of the water take me. I tugged on the bars praying that they might give a little but deep down I knew it was hopeless. As my lungs started running out of air I gave into the panic and started thrashing wildly about with the others.

Then as fast as it had begun it was over, we were in the air again. We were put back on the ground with a large thunk. I watched helplessly as they repeated the dunking procedure with the next cage in the line. I was startled to realize that I recognized one of the trapped prisoners as a classmate of mine—Mikaela Banes. I had been hopelessly in love with her from the third grade. She never even knew I existed…and probably never would now.

I heard a commotion behind me. I turned and saw a group of people huddled around an older women lying on the bottom of the cage. She wasn't breathing.

"Does anybody know CPR?" A middle-aged man asked in a high pitch tone betraying his fear.

Several people answered 'yes' and started squeezing their way through to the woman.

"Wait, are we sure we should save her?" I gasped in surprise as did many other people. As a group we turned and looked at who had spoken. I recognized her from school she had always dressed heavily gothic—I didn't know her name.

"I mean, if we save her she'll only be doomed to a life of slavery." The girls face was stained black from the mascara she had been wearing and all the crying she had done. It gave her face an unearthly quality.

Everybody had froze, nobody was quite sure of what to do. I stared at the woman; her eyes were open and seemed to be staring back at me. It all seemed so surreal. I knew I should do something—it seemed so wrong to just leave her lying there.

"We need to help her." It was out of my mouth before I could stop it. Suddenly all of their eyes were on me. I started stammering. "I mean it's not our choice—it's her choice—we shouldn't play God like this, and besides how could we live with ourselves if we do nothing."

I never got to hear their response. The Robots choose that moment to focus their attention on us. In this case, it meant herding us out of the cage and down a dark corridor. As I had been in the corner I was one of the last to leave. I looked back at the woman as I was forced out. I wondered briefly if she was Rosemary -the one that had sung to us in the darkness, comforting all of us-I hadn't been able to see her face … I knew I would never forget this woman's face.

* * *

I quickly learned that if you didn't keep up with the group you'd get an automatic electrical shock from the corridor walls. It wasn't a big enough shock to do any serious damage but it still hurt like hell. For a fleeting moment, I realized that this is how dogs must feel when humans put shock collars on them.

The corridor ended in a gigantic circular room with many different cubicle-looking areas. A large metal grating was pulled across the corridor's opening so no one could escape. We were pushed into a rough line and led to cubicle off to the left by the wall. It seemed like hours had passed before another large Robot showed up it was tinkering with a sphere of some kind. He was making a lot of whirling and metallic noise. I hope that was a good sign and not a bad sign.

Once he got the sphere to light up he put it on the ground next to us. We all eyed it nervously.

"_Welcome, organic organisms known as humans_." We all jumped as the monotone voice erupted from the sphere. "_You have been chosen to help further build and improve upon our great and noble empire._"

Oh no, this did not sound good.

"_You will now proceed to black bins where you will remove you useless fibrous outer covering and any other artifacts. You will then be taken to the medical bay for an examination and be treated for any illness or injuries_."

Oh no, no, this is so not good. This can not be happening. I wanna go home, iwanna gohome, iwannagohome…

"_Though you are fragile, short-lived creatures we don't intend to be malicious in our treatment towards you and even though our technology and world is much more advanced then yours you can still play a crucial part in our empire. Welcome to Cybertron_."

OKAY…So, I was on a different planet…there were aliens… and I was most likely going to die…

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**Okay, Autobots are coming up in the next chapter—most likely Ratchet first.**


	3. Chapter 3

On A Different Cybertron

Chapter Three

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The creepiest thing about the Robots was definitely their eyes—the way they glowed and stared out at you incessantly, piercing your soul with their disdain and contempt but yet never seeing you. I tried not to attract their attention—or their anger.

"But I can't take it off, it's a cast—my arm is broken."

I looked over at the scene that was developing. No one had wanted to go over to the bins but eventually the Robots made themselves clear that disobeying was not an option and they had physically pushed all the men towards the bins; giving quite a few people some nasty bruises and cuts. One of the first people to be forced to the bins was a boy who was now trying to join the line of those that had finished placing their stuff in the bins but the Robots were forcing him back to the bins, obviously wanting him to take his cast off. The boy tried furiously to get it off as they towered over him. I felt horror welling up inside of me for the boy. I had to stifle a cry as one of them suddenly grabbed him and strode off, shaking the ground with his foot steps. After that nobody resisted.

As I meekly started taking off my shoes and clothes I felt like the room temperature had dropped ten degrees. Their were freakin girls standing not ten feet away watching us 'male organics' undressing. If we were back on Earth and things were normal I would've jumped at the chance to see so many girls stripping. Now all I wanted to do was get out of here before it was their turn so I wouldn't have to hear their crying and sobbing anymore.

I stifled a sign of relief as the last man threw his watch in the bin and the Robots started moving us out. I was a bit surprised at the defiant glare the last man was giving the Robots until I saw him fingering his wedding ring. He didn't show any intention of throwing it into the bin. The Robots didn't seem to care…or else they just didn't se it.

We walked down the long corridors in silence. As the minutes dragged by I grew increasingly worried and uncomfortable. I wanted to look up from the ground and reassure myself that the other were still there and that I wasn't alone in the dark corridor…but getting caught staring at one of my naked comrades was not something I wanted to risk.

After what seemed like an eternity we reached what could only have been a doctor's office-even thousands of light-years on this distant planet you could still smell it in the air and in the way the room was designed.

Suddenly a small Robot came running out of a second room off to the left, a larger Robot came running out after it. The larger Robot started making clicks and pings so loud that I thought my eardrums were going to explode—then he threw a wicked-looking metal instrument at the one running from it.

I felt a surge of happiness go through me as the Robot cringed away from the blow but my spirit sank as I saw into the second room and realized he had a lot more instruments…and no more Robots…

"_I am Ratchet, I will not harm you, please proceed into the next room."_

We all jumped as we realized the Robot was speaking our language.

Before I could stop myself I asked the obvious, "You speak our language?"

"_Yes, most do not wish to clutter their processor with such a basic language but I find it helps make things more along more smoothly._ "

We were all silent for a moment then everyone started talking at once, "Why, why did they take us?" "We want to go home," "Help us, please," "Oh God, please help us," "Why?..."

He slammed the ground next to us with a metal tool that seemed to appear out of no where. We all froze as the metal floor vibrated slightly under our feet and our ears started ringing.

"_You are all here to serve the Empire and if you behave well you will be treated well. Now I have a lot of work to do. It's my job to make sure that you are healthy and are treated well. I want you all to proceed to the next room so I can examine and please be silent."_

We all stared at him; it was only when a brave man-or perhaps an extremely cowardly man stepped towards the other room that we all started moving. The second room was definitely worse then the first. As I had noted earlier, metal instruments lined the walls and there were cabinets bigger then most rooms and boxes so large you could drive cars into them.

"_Okay, I am going to take two of you at a time and place you on this machine. It'll scan you and inform me of whether or not you are healthy enough to be placed in a home. Please do not stress your systems_."

With that he grabbed one stunned person in each hand and placed them on a large black box with strange symbols on it. I watched in fascinated horror as a red light turn on and engulfed them. It took about thirty seconds before it beeped and the Robot that said his name was Ratchet looked at the results.

"_You systems are both stressed, but that is understandable given the circumstances._ _Please hold out your right arm so I can place a data band on you."_

The bands appeared to me made out of metal. He fastened one on each of the guys arm just above their elbows before picking them up and setting them both down on the floor again. The rest of us relax just a tiny bit after seeing that we weren't going to die and that the exam really wasn't all that bad.

It seemed like no time had passed before it was my turn. It took everything I had not to scream as his hands clamped around me and the poor guy standing next to me. I started shivering uncontrollably as the cool metal of his hands pressed against my bare skin. He set us both on the large black box. I flinched and started mouthing 'no, no, no' as I was painfully aware of the previous warning to be quiet. I jumped as the red light engulfed us but it didn't seem to hurt. I had to remind myself over and over again that the previous people hadn't died from it. It seemed like minutes passed before it beeped and the light went off.

"_Hmmm_."

"WHAT Hmmm?" I demanded, completely forgetting that it was large alien robot I was talking at. I froze as his glowing eyes looked at me. I shrunk away from them. I would have taken a step back but I didn't want to make it angrier then I presumed I already had.

"sssorry…"

"_You are healthy, hold out your arm."_

The data band was made out of metal just like it had appeared but now that I saw it up close I realized that it was covered with symbols. As he finished clamping it in place just above my elbow I realized even though it wasn't around my neck it was a slave collar-I was a slave.

"_I'm afraid you on the other hand have a virus and need to be quarantined_."

I snapped out of my thoughts and saw Ratchet pick up the unfortunate guy standing next to me. He shot me a look of terror, he seemed to be pleading with me to help him but I knew there was nothing I could do to help him. Ratchet walked across the room and open a cabinet. A heard a collective gasp from below me as we saw what was in the cabinet. It was filled with little glass cages and there were people in some of them. As he picked one and put the guy in I realized the entire bottom of that cage was lined with soft pillow material and that there was a water and food dish on the side of it. For a minute I kinda wished that I was sick, those cages looked a lot better then we had gotten before and what I assumed we would be getting later.

I thought about running away while Ratchet's back was turned but I realized the machine I was on was fifteen feet off the ground. And even if I got away, where would I go? I was stuck on this alien planet.


	4. Chapter 4: An Owner

On A Different Cybertron

Chapter Four

** Thank you to those that reviewed. I went back and made massive revisions to the first and third chapter. Hopeful it's better now. I highly encourage people to go back and check those chapters out... and then review and tell me what you think.**

[Rewrite 8/19/10]

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After my turn it was just more waiting before they marched us through the long corridors again. I gave up trying to remember the number of left and right-hand turns long before we reached the outside. I dimly noted that the damn sun was still glaring at me before I was able to collapse in the cage they were herding us into. God, my legs ached from all the marching and the armband felt like it weighed ten pounds. My eyelids were too heavy to keep open so I closed them and slid off into what I hoped would be a dreamless sleep.

I woke up in yet another crowded cage to a large crashing sound. My muscles protested as I tried to sit up, even sorer then yesterday, if that was possible. At least I didn't remember having any bad dreams. I slowly looked around to find the sound that had awakened me; I saw a small Robot throwing in a box filled with those weed-looking plants. Someone brushed past me toward the box. I saw that there were about ten men in the cage with me and every one of them was had a band on their arms. We all looked at the plants suspiciously but hunger eventually won out and we started forcing it down. They had a nasty metallic aftertaste to them that made me nauseous but food was food. I noticed almost everyone was looking off into the distance as they ate their plants. I slowly hobbled over to the side of the cage to see what they were looking at.

"What is that?"

"A slave market…"

I stared out at it for awhile as the events from yesterday truly started setting in before bolting back to my corner.

I was a slave…a slave. It just wasn't right. Not right at all. It was all wrong, everything was wrong.

"What's your name, Kid?...Kid?...KID"

I flinched as someone shook my shoulder. I looked up automatically. There was man looking down at me with a worried expression.

"You okay, Kid?"

"Yyyeah"

"What's your name?"

"Sam"

"Hi Sam"

He held his hand out. I stared at it dumbly for a minute.

"You know it doesn't bite."

I tried to extend my hand but I found that I had dug my nails into my legs. I winced as I saw the red half-circle marks. When had I done that? I shook hands with him. It was strange doing something so ordinary. Didn't he know what was going on? What was going to happen to us?

"We're slaves," It was out of my mouth before I could stop it.

"Yeah, well, it's like they used to say a person can only enslave your body they can't do anything to your mind."

"Somehow having a free mind isn't comforting me," I muttered bitterly.

"Well, think about it…it might help you later…I'm Will by the way."

He sat down next to me. I noticed his left hand then.

"Hey, you're the one that didn't take off his wedding ring."

"Damn right, I love my wife and baby girl and I promised I was never going to take this ring off no matter what."

"Are they…Did they…"

"They're not here, thank God, I'd die fighting them before I let those bastards hurt my family."

I nodded absentmindedly as he rambled on about his baby girl and small everyday things. Deep down I knew he thought I was losing it and he was just trying to help me…but at that moment I just want to be alone to wallow in my misery.

Will kept a close eye on my after that. Watching me out of the corner of his eyes, making sure I was eating and getting some sleep and probably making sure I didn't try to kill myself. Not that there was anything I could kill myself with in this cage—unless, I got someone to strangle me with the weed plants. But that was highly unlikely that I could get anyone to do it—and deep down I knew I wanted to live, even if I had to live as a slave…I didn't want to die.

The slave market started on the second day after we got our data bands. Cages filled with humans stretched off as far as I could see. Some cages only held one or two while others like my cage had more. Though there weren't any girls in any of them so I assume they had another vast stretch of cages elsewhere containing only girls.

Robots of all shapes and sizes tramped past. The ground trembled slightly with so many massive beings moving about. I mostly saw their giant feet passing by. Occasionally one would stop and start looking into the various cages or reach out and try to touch us. A large group of Robots came up suddenly and started looking into the cages by ours. Screams broke out in the next cage over as a rather large and stocky Robot opened it and pulled a boy out. He looked like he was a year or two younger then me. He stopped screaming and kicking as the Robot increased his grip. He examined the boy carefully; checking his arms and legs and running a device over his data band. The Robot made an approving sound and passed him back to another that was holding a cage. I knew he would logically check out our cage next and that I was one of the youngest but nothing could prepare me for his reaching hand and the way he examined me. I was too afraid to move or to scream. I was a good twenty feet off the ground if he dropped me…

I sighed in relief when he passed me back to be put in his cage. The solid metal and bars around me were strangely comforting. As my panic eased, I realized with a start—I had been purchased. The process was repeated over and over again until there was five of us in the cage and it was getting a little crowded. The last boy that had been chosen couldn't have been more then fourteen and was babbling things to himself, obvious terrified. Our new Owner seemed to be done buying and started heading in the opposite direction away from the cages. The last boy suddenly he started screaming. We tried to talk to him and calm him down but the one carrying us didn't like it and shook the cage until we stopped making sounds of any kind.

Robots moved all around us. Most that had cages in their hands only had one or two people in them. I idly wondered if our new owner was rich. As funny as it sounded I kind of hoped he was—maybe I'd have a better life then.

After a few minutes came a most welcoming sight— black bins containing mounds of clothing. It looked like they were not only selling us but also our clothes. I grimaced in sympathy as I saw a Robot choose a pink dress out of the bin and throw in a cage containing a middle-aged man. I prayed that I could get some clothes, any clothes—even a dress would be better then spending the rest of my life naked. I sighed with relief as my Owner bent down and picked up an entire bin. He was definitely rich.

Soon we were in a vehicle of some kind. I assumed we were heading off to wherever our Owner lived; although I still didn't know what we was going to happen to us when we got there.


	5. Chapter 5: Yellow bows

On A Different Cybertron

Chapter Five

**Sorry it's taken so long to update but I've had to get a lot of things in order for school. **

* * *

"I'm stuck, I'm stuck…help!"

Idiot, who gets their hand stuck in a cage? I watched in disbelief as Paul, the last one that had been bought at the market and caused us trouble started causing more. You could tell he was about to start screaming at the top of his lungs; it already looked like he was trying to rip his arm off to get free. We all rushed over and started calming him down before our Owner heard all the commotion and came to investigate.

I don't know why Paul would even try to get out of the cage; it was a lot safer in the cage. Well, it wasn't exactly safe anywhere on this god-forsaken planet but out there—there was a land of enormous metal monsters and clashing machinery that could kill you in an instant. In here at least you could make small talk with your fellow prisoners and pretend nothing was wrong.

None of us had any idea of what was going to happen to us. We had simply been left in the cage on a shelf near the vehicle thing that had brought us to this place that we assumed was our Owner's house.

We manage to free Paul who then throw himself down on the floor and broke down sobbing. We all exchanged weary glances and hesitantly patted him on the back.

We all heard his footsteps. The loud metal clanging could belong to no one else. We all looked at each other gaining strength from each others presence before we started looking busying ourselves with nonexistent work-brushing dust off, polishing a bit of the floor, cleaning our fingernails. Paul continued to lie on the ground though his sobbing had ceased to the point where you barely hear it. A collective shutter went through us as the footsteps stopped and the cage moved slightly.

I couldn't help myself; I looked over out of my eye. I caught myself looking directly into his glowing eyes. I flinched and went back to studying the floor. He started making whirling and clicking sounds. I forced myself not to look. The sound of metal hitting metal caused me to look over instinctively. He had just placed a second cage next to ours. It was empty and a lot smaller then the one we were currently in. I hoped he wasn't going to put us in that one. There wouldn't be any room to move with all five of us in it.

I froze as I heard the lock on the top of our cage being opened. Don't move, don't move, don'tmove don'tmovedon'tmove. As I heard more of those strange clicks and whirls, I guessed that he was speaking in some alien robot language. But who was he speaking to? As far as I could tell there were no other robots around…maybe he was talking to himself—he could be a rich, eccentric robot… it definitely fit with the way my luck was going to have a crazied alien robot as my owner. The moments seemed to drag by as my mind raced. Maybe he was trying to talk to us...

He hadn't actually hurt us—well, yet anyway. Maybe he was a friendly robot… I slowly looked up at him. He was as big and intimidating as I had remembered.

"H—Hiii…."

I could literally feel everyone's eyes focus on me—the terrified one's of my fellow prisoners and the glowing ones of our Owner.

I could have sworn that the robot smiled—actually smiled but as his hand started reaching down to grab me I was sure I imagine it. I tense as his cold metal hand encircled my chest and pinned my arms. I once again found myself dangled at least twenty feet off the ground. I held back a frightened scream and tried desperately not to move and incur his wraith.

He opened his hand so that I was resting on his palm. I felt him run one of his metal fingers down my back and right leg. He flipped me over and continued his examination. I was painfully aware that I still had no clothes on and his eyes boring into me made me feel more violated then I had since I had been captured.

He made another clicking noise and then I could feel myself being lowered. As I heard the sound of the cage lock open I almost breathed a sigh of release. He tipped his hand a few feet from the floor and I slid off and landed with a dull thump but I didn't care. I would have kissed the floor if I didn't think the other guys would tease me about it. I glanced up expecting to see them next to me but there was no one around me…I had been put in the other cage. I was alone, no no nonononono….

WHY? Why me? What I do to deserve this?

I should have never tried to talk to the robot. I cursed them and told myself that there was no such thing as a nice alien robot. They were all cruel-and mean-and sadistic.

I watched our Owner…my Owner… go through the bin of clothing he bought. I still cursed him, and called him every mean and low-down name I could think of. But it didn't help keep my mind off thoughts of what he was going to do to me.

I looked in disbelief as he thrown in a disturbingly bright yellow shirt and a pair of black jeans. Yellow, why yellow? Ugh, I hated yellow with a passion. I stared at it as I cautiously put on the black jeans. I still didn't trust him but clothes were clothes. I only put the shirt on when I felt the cage start to shake. My Owner made a chirpy sound as he once again leaned over and stared at me. He must've been satisfied because he picked the cage up.

I lost my footing and slid into the bars. I grabbed them instinctively and held on so tight my hands started turning white. I only glanced down once, the ground so far away and moving so fast made me nauseous and it became harder to breathe especially with the less oxygen in the air. After watching my fellow captives recede into the distance I closed my eyes and tried to think happy thoughts—at least I wasn't dead right? …At least not yet.

I felt the cage being placed on top of something and sounds of metal scraping against metal coming from above. I was torn I didn't want to open my eyes and see what horrors where waiting for me but on the hand I felt this overpowering need to know what was going on. My eyes opened almost on their own accord.

It...it looked like a giant version of a yellow birthday bow that my mother had once put on a racing bicycle for my tenth birthday. I stared at it in disbelief. I was going to be a present? A present?

I knew deep down I should be afraid –my current Owner hadn't done anything horrifically bad to me and there was no telling what this new one would be like but looking at that bow I realized that it didn't matter…when it came down to it one robot was the same as another-I would still be a insignificant slave compared to them, no matter what.

**Okay, next chapter will include a well-known Autobot**


	6. Chapter 6

On A Different Cybertron

Chapter Six

**Okay, Sorry this chapter's a little late-I'm having on-going computer problems. 'Thank you' to everyone that reviewed- -your awesome and I love hearing your comment; I'd also like to thank Mrs. BumbleBee for her ideas and encouragement.**

* * *

I was tired. I was really, really tired. I'd never known what tired was until now. All I could was look out at my new prison as I was passed from one Owner to another.

I looked at what I assumed was my new Owner. From the sounds he made, I gathered he was happy with his new present—me. I decided his name was 'Bee,' it was syllable that my now-previous-Owner had been repeating a lot since he brought me to here—and I had to come up with something to differentiate the robots. I thought about calling them all Owner not bothering to acknowledge that they were different—as they did with us. But something inside me decided his name was Bee and the same deep down part of me knew my survival now depended on him.

I was starving, thirsty, and I hadn't slept well in weeks. I would have gladly eaten a whole pile of those weeds they had given to us before and drink their stale water—but there was none in sight; I contented myself with the idea that even if they did bring some that I wouldn't touch it. I'd snub their icky food and send it right back to them.

But, boy, was I hungry. I hugged my stomach as it let out a large growl. I looked up in time to see Bee staring at me. I kept my expression neutral and I looked away into nothingness. After a while of listening to their incomprehensive whirls and clicks I laid down against the bars and tried to drift off to sleep.

The last thought to cross my mind before the blissful oblivion of sleep took me was that I was going to have to live through this day after day, month after month, year after year until I died and was thrown away like a piece of trash.

* * *

* * *

I awoke feeling warm; warmer then I had felt in a long time. I opened my eyes to see that I had been covered with a light blanket. I stared at it in amazement. I had to reach out and touch it just to assure myself that it was real. It was black and had a rubbery feel to it but it was definitely a blanket—or was it. Remembering my previous experience with 'they might be friendly robots,' I stared at it suspiciously and slowly slipped away from it. It laid on the floor of the cage, looking innocent. After a few minutes of it failing to turn into a scary monster, or zap me with electricity, or use some other means to torture me, I decided it would probably show its true colors later—I'd have to stay on alert. I turned away from and examined the cage for any other possibly dangerous additions.

I spotted the box almost immediately. It too sat innocently looking in the corner farthest from me. Eventually curiously won over my caution and I moved closer to see what was in it. I realized that the box had been divided into two parts. Brown-green pellets filled on side while the other side appeared to be empty. I crept slightly closer still keeping my guard up. I saw ripples appear on the surface of the empty side as I stepped closer—It hit me then—It was a doggie bowl, one with food and one with water.

My stomach grumbled loudly at the thought of food and mouth began to water but I fought it. I remember what I had been thinking about yesterday of refusing to eat. I could die nobly rather then living a life of slavery. I mentally calculated the odds that I would succeed knowing my level of self-control—they weren't good but I went ahead and swore that I wouldn't touch any of it.

I held good on my oath for the first half hour of temptation. I began to slip then and it was only the forced images of me on my knees eating out of Mojo's dog bowl that keep me from dashing over and devouring it. As time dragged on my thirst began to overpower my hunger. My mouth was so dry and my throat was beginning to hurt every time I swallowed. I compromised after what seemed like a life time of holding off and I crept to the water side. I cupped my hands and tried to retain what dignity I could. And though I still told myself I wouldn't break my oath and eat I couldn't help smelling the pellets. They smelled oddly enough like cardboard and dog food.

With my stomach temporarily appeased with the water, I was able to ignore the food much more easily. I settled down and since there was nothing to do I stared at a wall of machinery. Idle thoughts of what the machine might do cross my mind and I considered them lightly, preferring those thoughts over the memory of my nightmares.

I don't know how long I sat there staring at nothing before Bee came back into the home-dwelling area. He was seemed happy, he chirped at me in what seemed like a friendly manner…I wasn't fooled. It didn't come as any surprise to me when he open my cage and picked me up. I forced down the surge of instinctual fear and made myself stay still, to not react at all and with my weaken state it wasn't that hard. He held my lightly in his hands. I was grateful for that, I still had lingering handprints-shaped bruises across my chest from being picked up before. He started stroking me gently starting on my head and running down my back and legs. I distantly comprehended that I was being 'petted' but I realized that I didn't care. It felt good to be touched, to not be alone and though I knew I would despise myself later I relaxed and let myself enjoy it.

Tired, I was so very tired—I guess that it'll be a new constant in my short life.. I lightly scrubbed the metal wheel, the green ooze that seemed to be their equivalent of soap made squelching sounds every so often to break up the monotone. I had been cleaning for hours. I was convinced that my stomach had turned into a bottomless pit and was sucking everything around it into its dark depths.

I had been debating for hours which was worse hungriness or tiredness. Hungriness had been winning in the beginning but tiredness had since taken its spot. I just wanted to slept, to forget this nightmare but I didn't want to incur the wrath of Bee. He wanted this wheel cleaned and I didn't want to find out what would happen if I didn't get it cleaned.

My basic instinct of staying alive and unscathed had taken control. So I scrubbed on. The little teeth of the wheel were the hardest to clean. It required that I focus on them and scrub in the right direction. I was finding it difficult to focus. I don't know why…I didn't really care why…

I was finished. The wheel shined beautiful and there wasn't a speck of grime in sight. I looked around for Bee but he was nowhere to be found. I passing thought about getting up and making a break for it crossed my mind. I guess it didn't matter how long I was trapped on this distant planet they would still come to me unbidden.

I sighed and sat down, waiting for him to come. My muscles were glad for the rest and I slowly drifted off to sleep.

I woke up briefly as I felt myself flying through the air but I dismissed that as being ridiculous—humans didn't fly. I felt a blanket settled down around me. I grabbed it and held on tight to it, my earlier thoughts about it being dangerous temporarily forgotten.

The next morning there was an intense pounding in my head. I felt weak, like I had the flu. I didn't want to move but I was so thirsty…

I eventually forced myself to crawl over to the water bowl. I took some small sips. I knew I should eat too but the thought of an eternity on this hellhole planet and more importantly the effort required to move over there, stopped me. I laid my head down on the floor again and would have stayed there if he hadn't come and picked me up.

I resented him picking me up. I wanted to sleep, I needed to sleep. I felt him petting me again, it felt so good but I was just so tired…I opened my eyes as I heard loud sounds around me. He was taking me somewhere…I didn't know where, I never knew where they were going to take me… His soft petting pushed me gently deeper into his hands and I surrendered once more to the oblivion of sleep.

* * *

The first thing I was aware of was the pain. The light was too bright, it was hurting my eyes and everything below my neck seemed to be on fire.

The second thing that crossed into my thoughts was that I was in a fish bowl. The walls appeared to be made of glass and it seemed to me that I was floating.

As I slowly regained my senses I realized I was resting on a bunch of soft, padding material. This 'new cage' of mine seemed familiar, as I studied the room outside of it I realized why…I was in that robot Ratchet's medical lab…Oh God, SERIOUSLY why me?


	7. Chapter 7: The Doctor's wrath

On A Different Cybertron

Chapter Seven

* * *

"Stupid little organic, didn't you realize you could have off-lined yourself?"

'That was the plan,' I thought darkly to myself. I stared at the black scanning box I was sitting on I was pretty sure that talking back to Ratchet was NOT a good idea but not having anyone to talk to was driving me crazy.

"Yeah…"

"YEAH? Why would you want to off-line yourself? Are you glitched?"

I didn't have a clue what 'glitched' meant but it sounded like something I'd be.

"…Yes…"

He harrumphed and went back to his panel of buttons and symbols though he was still grumbling and shooting me glaring looks. I held my aching body and tried to ignore him but yet again my mouth won…

"Yeah, well,-if YOU got kidnapped and dragged off to a god-forsaken alien planet, thrown into cages and treated like some stupid little animal—YOU'D try to off-line yourself too."

I glared in his direction but his back was turned. He was surprisingly silent. I started to grow worried—had I crossed a line? These Robots were so hard to figure out.

I listened in surprise as he gave something like a mechanical sigh,"I suppose it is hard on you little organics but compared to some of the things I've seen done to members of your race, you have been treated well, and since you have give to click-whirl-beeeep I expect you will continue to be treated well in the future—and I expect you NOT to be back here being saved from your own stupidity."

I froze in shock at what he said and the way he had said it. I quickly recalled all of the horrific things I had imagined happened to me since I was kidnapped. I felt pity for those that I knew had suffer worse fates then me—I began to see that maybe staying with Bee wouldn't be so bad a future…it would still be bleak and meaningless but I knew I would never be able to starve myself again. I couldn't face the never-ending gnawing hunger and deep down I was glad I was alive. I knew I really didn't want to die I had just desperately wanted things to change.

I flinched as bright beams of red light erupted from the black box I was sitting on. I assumed they were scanners and unlike the first time I was here being inspected for 'market' these ones made my skin tingle, it felt like I had ants crawling all over me. I strove not to move or make crazed gestures of 'get-them off of me' as I had already been yelled at by Ratchet for moving earlier during an exam. To keep my mind off of the scans I began counting the fish-bowl cages. I had reached seventeen when I realized some of them were occupied. I couldn't really see who was in them as the cages were on the other side of the room—and it really was a gigantic room. They appeared to be sleeping peaceful on the padded cushion things. I wondered if the man who had been taken by Ratchet during my first inspection was here but try as I might I just couldn't tell from this distance. As time wore on, I realized I envied them, I knew I wasn't really tired not like I had been before but with nothing to do and no one to talk to I couldn't help wanting to slip off into oblivion.

I stared off into space until I couldn't take it anymore…the red light had gone so I decided it couldn't hurt to move a little…I slowly moved over an inch, Ratchet didn't move from his station. I move another inch …still nothing…I was about to move another inch when I realized I didn't know where I was going to go or what I would do. The memory of Ratchet throwing a wrench at the other robot when I first meet him flashed before my eyes and I slowly moved back the two inches to my original position…for now I wouldn't tempt fate…though if I had to spend another hour just sitting here I was going to start screaming. I wondered how Ratchet would react to that?

It was about forty minutes later of silence that I heard the metal clanging on metal that I had come to recognize as one of them walking. I jumped slightly as the door slid open with a crash. It took me a minute before I was able to realize the robot was Bee (they really did all look alike).

I winced as I anticipated his reaction to my attempted 'off-lining.' He slowly reached out for me. I shivered as his metal fingers wrapped around me. For a fleeting moment I was afraid that he was going to squish me but he only lightly held me and I felt him run a finger down my back—he, he seemed to be comforting me. My startling conclusion was reinforced when he started making soft clicking noises. Lying comfortably in his hands made me feel like a fool …to think he had given me food, water, and even a blanket, a blanket-and what did I do? I took his kindness and throw it away from me and suspected him of cruelty.

Ratchet chose that moment to interrupt, from the annoyed sounding whirls, clicks, and beeps I assumed he was talking about me. I grew worried when Bee finger stopped suddenly on the middle of my back. What was going on? I hadn't done anything bad since I got here. I had been a perfect patient...aside from a bit of talking back…but that wasn't really bad…its not like I moved or interrupted the scans—well aside from that first time.

I twisted around to try and see what was going on. Bee was still frozen in place but Ratchet was going about as if nothing was wrong. I watched him closely as he went and removed someone from one of the fishbowl cages. He headed into the next room, as Bee was still not moving.

I flinched when I heard, "Hello, little organic."

I glanced up at Bee and stared at him incredulously at him—did he just speak English? Ratchet was the only robot I'd met on the planet that had, how did he put it 'bothered to clutter his processor with our basic language.' Maybe he'd download it from him, but why? To torment me? To be a more efficient slave master?...Was he a really a..a..nice robot and did he really just want to talk to me?

"Umm, hello?"

"What is your name?" His perfect English was slightly eerie but strangely reassuring.

"It's Sam…what's yours?"

"I don't believe it has an English equivalent. The cybertronian pronouncation is whirl-click-bbbeeeep."

"Yeah, I've heard it before and figured that was your name," He started looking amused when I said that as if I shouldn't have been able to figure that out. But over all things seemed to be going well so far, at least he hadn't said anything about me being his slave, his property or expecting complete obedience or talk of using me for experiments.

"Since I have to call you something…could I call you Bee?"

He pondered that for a moment before nodding his assent.

"I suppose that would be acceptable."

An uncomfortable silence stretched between us. I was uncertain of what to say. What could I say in type of situation?

"So, why did you try to off-line yourself?"

I wanted to answer his question. To explain about how it felt to be dragged from your home and thrown into cages—how degrading and embarrassing it was and how the constant fear ate at my soul—but I just couldn't form the words. Nothing I thought of could explain it well enough. I dropped my eyes and stared at the palm of his hand.

"Well…did I injure you in some way?"

What? Why would he even care? It didn't make any sense…

"No, no, no…you…totally didn't"

Oh, what the hell I might as well try to explain seeing as I might never get the chance again.

"I …don't…I mean..I don't like being treated as a stupid animal."

He was silent for a long while.

"You don't like the way I treated you?"

If I hadn't know better I would have thought that Bee sounded hurt.

"Oh no, " I quickly backtracked not wanting to offend the person who was holding me sixteen feet off the ground, "You were really nice…I mean really nice…I really appreciated the blanket and the food and the water…and everything you did…it was just …everything…I miss my home…"

He was staring at me know with an unreadable gaze. I felt myself heat up—I had sounded like a babbling idiot and I knew it.

"I imagine I'd miss my home too, if I had to leave it suddenly." His voice was light and sounded companionable but I could tell deep down he just didn't understand—perhaps no one could understand unless they had gone through it like I had.

"Tell you what, Sam, I'll make you a deal, you come back with me and I'll take good care of you and in return you help me out with some micro-maintenance when I need it, okay?"

'Like I have a choice' I thought to myself, 'He owns me' but answered instead with a weak "yes."


	8. Chapter 8: An Everyday Routine

On A Different Cybertron

Chapter Eight

**'Thank you, thank you, thank you' to everyone that reviewed—Enjoy**

Bee's idea of taking care of me as I soon discovered included a bath. Not having had the opportunity to clean myself for days I had gotten rather dirty and sweaty—and while I originally thought that I would love anything that wasn't like the last 'bath' I was given by the robots 'processing' me—I discovered Bee's idea of a bath was with the weird green slimy stuff they used for micromaintence. It was like taking a bath in Jell-o and it made me smell like diesel—DIESEL.

The food, once I had decided to eat it wasn't so bad. I thought it would be metallic-tasting like those weeds we had gotten when we were first brought here but they tasted more like whole wheat, vegetables, with a slight aftertaste of chicken. I would have said it tasted somewhat like a mixture of dog food and baby food but as I've never tasted them I couldn't say for sure. Either way…it didn't taste good…and though Bee never said anything about my attempt to 'off-line' myself I caught him watching me eating sometimes. It was seriously awkward and stalker-like creepy with those glowing blue eyes of his.

As the days passed by, every day became the same day. Bee would go off somewhere, to work I supposed, I would sit in my cage staring off at nothing until I was sure he was gone then I forced myself to eat some food, then I'd get a drink of water and then for fun I'd move to the OTHER side of my cage and stare out in that direction for a while before curling up on the floor with my blanket and take a long afternoon nap. I'd wake up when Bee came clanging home.

If I was lucky he'd have something that needed to be clean—like more of those metal wheel things and old-shaped pieces of metal and the last time he'd given me some motherboard-electronic type looking thing. He'd seemed a little nervous giving it to me. He needn't of been, I wasn't all that smart when it came to subvertly damaging technical gadgets and if I outright broke it he would have been pissed…and angry robots were not good things…and…and though I didn't want to admit it—I was kinda happy and proud that Bee was trusting me.

Sometimes when he came home he'd pick me up and just talk to me about his day. Most of what he said didn't mean much to me or had no good English equivalent but the feeling that I wasn't alone made me giddy. I found that I was starting to look forward to Bee's return. I had begun waking up a few minutes before I even heard Bee coming, like today and I'd end up staring impatiently at the door.

As soon as I hear him coming I got up and ran to the other side of the cage and pretended to be busy.

"Hello, Sam"

I almost smiled when I heard him talk with his strange proper English voice.

"Hello, Bee—How was your day?"

"It went well, thank you, my team managed to finish our project."

I watched as he came closer and opened the top of the cage. Bad memories flashed across my mind. 'Its Bee, he won't hurt you, he won't hurt you, he won't hurt you…' I absentmindedly fingered the blanket he had given me, I still had it wrapped around me from my nap. I slipped it off, closed my eyes and braced myself for the metallic touch of his hand but when I didn't feel anything I slowly opened my eyes. He had stopped his hand just short of me and was holding it level like a platform.

"Would you like to go for a walk?"

I paused for a moment at the strangeness of the situation and the fact that he had actually bothered to ask me.

"Okay!" Anything was better then sitting alone by myself.

Riding in Bee's hand was like a carnival ride without the safety restraints but Bee curled his fingers up so that I was in kind of a cup and couldn't fall out. He was careful not to tip his hand and not move it excessively. As we left his building and started walking on the streets, I noticed more and more people staring at me, but they seemed more inquisitive and 'friendly' rather then aggressive—It was weird. I started watching them more carefully then before but I couldn't tell why they were watching me or anything that would connect them. I finally figured that human were exotic or they never seen one before. Either way it didn't matter.

After looking at the unbelievable sights some more I relaxed back into Bee's hand, snuggling deep down where the air wasn't rushing by as fast and it was easier to breathe. I continued to peek through his fingers. I don't know if it was just my imagination but the building seemed to be getting larger—if it was even possible for them to be larger then the gigantic size they had been before. I didn't worry about it though, instead I focused on trying to see a giant robo-car but I just couldn't seem to see one no matter where I looked. I was kind-of sad about it. Cars, no matter what planet you were on—were cool.

I was busily watching a group of small robots, well relatively small, sweeping and cleaning the street when a burst of clicks and whirls erupted from the left side of me and Bee. I started and twisted around.

The first thing I saw was a large purple robot; the second thing was the extremely naked girl in a cage resting in the robot's hands. I gaped openly as the cage was thrusted next to me and the robot continued talking. Bee made some similar sounds but I found myself unable to look away from the sight of the naked girl until she looked directly at me. It was dead haunted look and with me sitting comfortably in Bee's hand, well-fed and dressed in decent clothes, I felt like her gaze was piercing through me—accusatory…like I was betraying…something…her?...humanity?

I dropped my eyes and keep them locked on Bee's fingers until he finished his conversation and had begun walking again. I expected an awkward silence to follow but instead it seemed as if the sounds of the city became louder.

"She thought you were cute."

Huh, I looked up at Bee with a confusing look.

"The femme that I was just talking to –liked you." He said it slightly slower then he normally would—like I wasn't getting something important.

"Oh, I –I thought you were talking about the human girl—but given the way she was staring at me she definitely wasn't interested—but—but—you know its…kinda cool that the robot thought I was cute."

"Femme."

"Huh?" I said once again clueless.

"Femme and Mech are terms we use to describe ourselves—robot is somewhat offensive."

"Oh…Okay—it was nice the femme though that I was cute."

"Hmmm, would you rather of had the human femme think you cute?" As I looked at Bee I could have sworn his glowing eyes were starting to twinkle a little bit—He was teasing me—**teasing me**…this was definitely new. I wasn't quite sure how to respond.

"Um…well…you know…what guy wouldn't want people interested in them…"

"You know, I heard something the other day about a mating program that some people were putting together—would you like me to sign you up?"

MATING! Oh God, images flashed across my brain—being surrounded by an entire crowd of robots while they watched me doing-ewww—and what if the girl was ugly—or worse didn't want me and Oh god…'mating' as in BABIES.

"NO, NO, NO!" I yelled at Bee. I felt him recoil slightly at my words I could almost feel him becoming more serious. Great, I had destroy what tentative conversation we had going.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to upset you. I thought you might enjoy it—most organic creatures do."

Organic Creatures? Was that all I was to him? I pictured my cage and feeding bowls in my mind—yeah, that's all I am to him. I realized I had a lot more in common with that girl in the cage then I had thought.I didn't want to be some kind of animal, some lowly stupid pet—even being considered a slave was better—at least it implied some intelligence. I ran a light finger over the metal band encircling my arm—it was too painful to think about for long.

I knew that if I tried to reply I wouldn't be able to keep the hurt and bitterness from my voice so I merely shrugged and avoided Bee's gaze while trying to recall all the nice things he had done for me.

"Well, we're here."

I looked up quickly and froze as I realized the building in front of us—it was the complex where Ratchet's office was.

"Woah, hey—you—you never said anything about visiting Ratchet."

"You require a check-up."

"A check-up? Why? I'm perfectly fine—you know that—just look at me, I'm in great shape."

"Good, Ratchet won't be getting angry at me then."

"There are times that Ratchet isn't angry or pissed off?"

Bee made a ping and a shutter that might have possibly been a laugh. I groaned as he opened the door and stepped inside. I tried futilely to sway him once more.

"You know, he's going to stick me on that god-forsaken scanner box again—for who knows how long—unable to move…not even a few inches…"

Bee made a sympathetic whirl but continued onward.

I sighed as I stared out at the familiar sight of those accursed fishbowl cages. I had been stuck on the scanner for ten minutes now. Being scanned for what had to be every disease a human could ever get. Now that I wasn't worried about it causing scream-worthy pain I could focus all my worrying power on just how much radiation exposure I was getting. I could practically feel tumors starting to grow every time the red light hit me.

"No fidgeting."

"I'm not fidgeting."

Ratchet paused as if he was thinking.

"No flinching then."

"Flinching isn't exactly something I can control…umm…How long before I start forming tumors from all this radiation exposure?"

"TUMORS! Are you seriously glitched, why for the love of Primus would I use medical equipment to make sure you stay well if its just going to cause genetic mutation and illness?"

"I dunno know, maybe cause your all …" evil robots, sprang to my mind but I somehow managed to stop myself before I said it and quickly changed it, "your all robo—_mechs_, and you don't…um…don't understand organics all that well."

"Harrumph, you are glitched. I understand more about your body then any human doctor would know for the next seven hundred years."

"Uh-huh…what blood type am I?"

"O positive, would you care to know your red blood cell antigen phenotype as well? Or perhaps your hemoglobin or hematocrit levels?"

Damn, he was good.

"No…that's-that's alright I believe you, your really really smart."

Bee laughed as he finished some sort of business phone call and came back over to us.

"Ratchet's the best medic there is."

I noticed Ratchet had a gleam in his eye as he turned to Bee, "Good, then you wouldn't mind coming in for a check-up yourself in the next breem or so."

Bee stopped laughing and made pleading click sounds. Ratchet just picked up a wrench and waved it kind of lazily in front of him while he studied the consol printouts. I felt a smile creep up on me, payback was a bitch.

Bee sighed dramatically as he reached over to pick me up; making sure to glance quickly over to Ratchet to make sure it was okay.

"Your human is fine, he's recovering quite nicely."

"Good, thanks Ratchet"

I was debating whether or not to add my thanks as well when I heard the most ear-shattering piercing roar I had EVER heard. Even Bee and Ratchet jumped.

The next thing I knew the door was being thrown open and a large black mech was standing there. I was assaulted by screechs and pings and sounds so horrific and grating that I had to cover my ears until the worst of it passed. I distantly noted that there were literal sparks flying from him from what appeared to be cut wires on his arm but I was much to focused on what he was clutching in his hand…or I guess I should say **who** he was holding in his hand.

"SAM?"

"Oh…Hi Will."


	9. Chapter 9: Cut wires and old friends

On A Different Cybertron

Chapter Nine

I watched in horror as the black mech practically threw Will at Ratchet. His screeching only increased in intensity before abruptly stopping. Ratchet on the other hand remained calm and appeared to be scanning Will and checking his slave arm band.

"Hmmmm….."

The black mech shot Ratchet a look of disbelief and anger and began his tirade over again. Much to my ear drums dissatisfaction. Ratchet calmly held Will out to Bee who took him in his free hand; though he held Will away from where I was as if I was going to catch something contagious from him.

I managed to give Will a friendly wave.

"Hi Sam," he sounded quite cheerful as if he was out for a walk in the park. He did seem to be enjoying himself and what damage he had inflicted on the mech. Who was now being roughly treated by Ratchet. I couldn't help but wonder what was going to happen to him-that black mech was seriously pissed off.

"You…know…each…other…?" Bee tentative voice broke through my thoughts.

"Umm, yeah, we meet right before—the—umm…." Damn, what was I supposed to say? There was no non-negative way to say it—'right before I was sold into slavery,' 'right before the slave auction,'…or maybe 'right before I got chosen by my first master.' That didn't sound too bad—a little weird but it probably wouldn't upset Bee.

Will recovered before I did and answered truthfully.

"We do know each other—we meet after being unfairly kidnapped from our families, cruelly mistreated and killed off on the journey here, sold into slavery and treated no better then animals, with death as the only thing to look forward to."

Bee looked at him sadly, "The transition from your old life might have been rough but once you settle in life on Cybertron is really pretty good. With our advanced technology we can provide a much better life for you—and you have the honor of helping us further the empire."

"Further you precious empire? I don't want to further your sick empire—so you can what? Enslave more worlds? Kill more innocents?" Will was quickly losing what little calm he had left.

"We protect plenty of less advanced organic worlds and only take a few hundred thousand organics to help service the empire and its citizens—It's a great honor."

Bee sounded so sincere and honest that I really believed that he believed it. I knew he was a kind, caring person but deep down I unequivocally knew Will was right-they had no right to enslave us.

I couldn't help but look away. I felt as if someone had punched me unexpectedly in the gut. I just wanted to curl up and make everything go away. Instead flashs of my conversation with Bee from the walk over to Ratchet's office started running through my thoughts—organic creatures—_creatures_. Go away, go away, stop it, stop it… but Will wouldn't stop.

"…And what about me? What about Sam? If we misbehave are you going to kill us? Decide that we're worthless junk and throw us out with the trash?"

That was the real question wasn't it? What deep down terrified me, you could be so badly treated and depressed that you thought it didn't but when it comes down the moment before your death I doubt anybody could say the weren't at least a little bit afraid.

The black mech now recovered made a lunge at Will "No I'm not going to throw you out with the trash, I'm going to incinerate you with my CANNONS!"

"Ironhide!"

I stared in horror at the black mech who had evidently gotten an English download from Ratchet. Somehow being able to understand the mech made him seem a lot more dangerous.

Bee pulled Will and me closer to him. Ratchet got a pissed look on him and threw a wrench at Ironhide. I ducked instinctively as it glanced off him and went flying off before slamming into a wall.

Ratchet got a lecturing look on his face "…Ironhide…there are laws against intentionally causing injury or unnecessary death to organic servants-If you can't handle your organic send him off to one of the factories."

"I can handle a puny little organic but that thing came straight from the Pit."

"Really? Most the damage he did was superficial. You're just being sparkling about it and if you had bothered to get a language module these problems made not have arisen."

"Harumph, Bee give me back my organic."

"…Do you promise not to incinerate it…?"

"Ummm, I'll promise not to use my cannon on it in Ratchet's office."

Bee studied him for a long moment before holding Will out to him.

Will shot them both venomous glares, "You might as well send me to the factories because I'm not going to stop my war."


	10. Chapter 10: Factories

On A Different Cybertron

Chapter Ten

My cage seemed even larger and lonelier then before. Bee hadn't said anything since we got back and I was afraid to said anything because I knew he'd probably give me an honest answer.

I decided that I could forget. I could eat my food, drink my water, and stare at the wall…but even if I did manage to forget it couldn't make the cold shivers running down my spine go away.

I slept fitfully that night. The faces of the dead haunted me. I wondered how many of my classmates were dead right now. What the rest of them were doing? Were they stuck in cages too? Or did they get sent off the factories?

I wasn't sure what the factories were but if it's where troublemakers are sent I imagined they must be something like labor camps. Hot, unsafe conditions, hard manual labor, crowded living conditions, maybe even metal shackles and if possible even worse food. For a brief moment I almost wished I was there—to be surrounded by people—actual people, that I could talk to, that could share my misery, help plan escape routes, and just keep me sane.

Why not? I couldn't live the rest of my life like this? I was already going crazy from the isolation and it only made it worse that I knew I was losing my mind. How many times had I wanted to literally start screaming at those damn walls? Sixty years of this compared to a few years in the factory seemed like a much worse option. I mean the food definitely couldn't get that much worse and they couldn't shackle everybody together if we were supposed to be working-and there wasn't any reason for it be hot or unsafe conditions, right, I mean didn't Ratchet say something about rules against purposely killing organic or causing severe damage?

"Sam?...Sam?"

I quelled a bit when I heard Bee behind me.

"…Yes, Bee…?"

"You are upset," It was a statement not a question.

I waited for him to continue but there was only silence.

"Sam?"

"What! What do you want me to say? –Do you want me to promise that I won't start cutting your wires and sabotaging your equipment while you're not looking?" I was angry. I hadn't realized how angry I was until I opened my mouth. I instantly regret my words when I saw how Bee seemed hurt and distant.

"….Would you…really do that?" His voice was so cold and analytical now that it scared me. I turned away from him and then with anger fueling me I found the courage to say it.

"Send me to the factories."

It would have been so silent you could hear a pin drop across the room except my heart was beating so loudly I was sure even a normal human being would be able to hear it…if there were any here.

I wondered how long it would take Bee to react and what his reaction would be. I just hoped it didn't include bruises or a trip to Ratchet for memory erasure. Did they have the technology for erasing memories— maybe they'd just scramble your brains or do a lobotomy.

"Sam…I trust you and though we got off to a rough start I would regret having to send you to the factories."

Damn him, and his nobleness, and his kindness.

"Yeah, well I'm going crazy locked up in here all alone and I don't know what I'll do when I finally snap so you might as well send me to the factories before you angry enough to incinerate me like Ironhide did with Will."

"You are mistaken—Ironhide would not have shot his cannon at his organic. He may talk tough and though he was upset he follows the laws of our society—even more so because he is an enforcer of law." He'd slip back into a slightly more friendly voice now that he thought he understood what the problem was. "What do mean by going crazy?"

"Crazy," How could I possible make him understand—humans and robot were just so different, "Crazy, as in being isolated from all other humans until you start screaming at walls and talking to yourself and seeing people and things that aren't really there."

"Humans can go 'crazy' when isolated from other humans?"

He sounded genuinely concerned and interested. It was like everything that had happened yesterday was washed away and we were back to the way things had been minus the fact that Bee hadn't picked me up and wasn't petting me..

"Yes…human are…very social creatures."

My voice broke on the sentence betraying my intense emotions and feelings of loneliness. Bee was silent for a long while.

"I wish you had informed me of this earlier. I don't want to intentionally cause you damage and I truly do value your service and your company. I will consult with some other owners of your species and see if we can't set up a social gathering for you."

I felt one of Bee's fingers running lightly down my back trying to comfort me.

"Thanks, Bee."

I guess things might look up from now on but everything was still so confusing I didn't know where I stood on so many issues. That moment from Ratchet's office was still so strong. They had no right to enslave us…but how could I not like Bee after everything he's done for me?


	11. Chapter 11: Getting ready, keeping clean

On A Different Cybertron

Chapter Eleven

* * *

"When I said hot water I didn't mean boiling hot water." I sat at the edge of the small swimming pool sized bowl of water, eyeing the steaming water warily.

"It's not boiling." Bee observed.

"Okay, but its super hot for a human."

"…Well, let it cool down them. According to my calculations it shouldn't take that long..."

I shook my head slightly—robots…I continued to watch the steam swirling off the water as Bee moved off to the other room. Probably to go get some of that diesel-smelling green jell-o soap—yuck.

I hadn't been eager to have another bath but Bee had insisted on it. He wanted me to look good at the social gathering thing he'd set up and from the way he'd been having me polish his armor plates the last few days he wanted to look good to.

I cautiously dipped a hand into the water it was hot tub level hot and it felt surprisingly great. I slowly slipped off the edge and into the water. I stretched out and took a few strokes to the middle.

It was heaven. I had forgotten how good it felt to be weightless and the glorious heat made it feel like every particle of dirt and grime was being obliterated. I turned over onto my back, closed my eyes and just floated.

I managed to get in several amazing minutes of heaven before I heard the loud screech and felt a tidal wave of water crash over me. I gasped in surprise and end up with a mouthful of water. I felt Bee's fingers circle around me.

I coughed wildly as I felt the water draining off me. I studied Bee's hand as I was able to start regaining my breath. I turned and slowly looked up to Bee's concerned optics.

"Yes…Bee?"

"Are you okay?"

"Yes…is there any reason you decided to grab me?" I was starting to feel very cold now that I was out of the water. I suppressed a shiver and continued to stare questionably and quite innocently at Bee.

"Umm…I thought you were in danger. Most organics don't float in water unless they've expired."

"Okay…well humans do float when they…expire," God that made humans sound like goldfish, "—but we also float on water for fun sometimes."

"Well in that case I am sorry for disturbing you."

His voice sounded far too perfect and regal as he apologized but it made his apology all the more powerful and sincere-so much so that I couldn't even be mad at him.

"That's alright, Its nice to know you'd try to save me if I'd drown….Now, if you could put me back down in the water I'd really appreciate it—its kinda cold up here." I was visible shivering now.

"Of course."

I sighed as I felt the hot water rush over me again. I carefully swam out of Bee's hand and over closer to the edge. It felt even better this time.

"Oh, I got some soap for you to use."

Damn, I had hoped I had used it all up cleaning his armor plates.

"The gathering going to be starting in six hours-I have to run into work but I'll be back in five hours…so be ready by then, okay?"

"Okay, Bee."

* * *

I was all wrinkled and pruny by the time I got up the will to get out of the water. I still had a few hours before Bee came back so I decided to go get something to eat when it hit me. I was outside of my cage. The hot water bath-slash-swimming pool had been too big to fit inside of it. I froze when I realized I was in some small way free.

I knew it was ludicrous to try and make a break for it, I'd be considered a slave or a pet to any mech or femme that say me and-I be lucky it they even saw me before I got smushed by them —but….it couldn't hurt to explore Bee's house a little… He was going to be gone for hours….and there wasn't really anything dangerous in here.

I debated it for a few minutes but with the only other option being to sit alone in my cage for the next few hours, I found myself on a great Witwicky expedition..

My cage was sitting on a shelf that I guessed was analogous to a kitchen counter. There was a bookcase looking thing on my right so I started creeping toward it. I found myself keeping an eye out for Bee even though I knew he shouldn't be returning I even employed some James Bond stealth techniques.

The counter ended a few feet before it reached the bookcase. I peered at the four feet gap like it was a great chasm and when I looked down to the floor I realized it really was.

"Okay, sooo not going to happen." I had started backing up without even noticing it. "Coward," I muttered to myself. I forced myself to move out farther on the counter so I could a better view of the bookcase. It was…rather disappointing. It looked just like a regular bookcase with metal pads instead of books. It even had a rather normal-looking picture frame. I stared at it. It was a picture of Bee with a whole bunch of robots I hadn't met before standing in front of an impressive-looking building. As I looked at it-it suddenly changed to another picture. I flinched and looked hurriedly around but there was no sign of Bee—it must have been preprogram to change pictures automatically. The new picture was of Bee with Ratchet at what suspiciously looked like a art show. If you could call what those things on the wall were art. I had to wait several more minutes for the picture to change. The third picture was mind blowing—it had Bee, Ironhide, and one other red and blue mech that was literally gigantic. He towered over them in the picture. I shuddered to think how big he'd be compare to me. I managed to amuse myself for almost an hour with the pictures but after a while I'd seen them all and they were no longer as fascinating as they used to be. I went back towards my cage looking for anything that needed exploring. There were some cabinets a few stories above my head though I decided there were far to high to attempt anything and actually they could be very dangerous if they were suddenly to come crashing down on my.

I wisely went back to me cage and starting looking at what was going on on the left side of the counter.

KABOOM

A loud sound shook the house. It sounded like a nuclear explosion. A part of me wanted to be logical and say that it could have been a really large mech like the one in the picture but the larger part of my mind didn't want to picture that so it screamed nuclear explosion. I carefully started inching backwards until I was in the safety of my cage.

I wasn't dead by the time Bee arrived home as he promised so I ruled out nuclear explosion and pushed it out of my mind as I happily greeted him.

I had dutifully kept clean after my sightseeing adventure. Which Bee acknowledged with a glance and a happy chirp before putting out his hand for me to climb into. I was so excited for the party that I couldn't help but run to Bee's hand so that we could be off.

I leaned over Bee's fingers the whole trip so that I could see everything while we were walking. I knew we were getting close when I saw Ironhide coming towards me with Will in his hands. He held Will away from him as if he was a dirty puppy. It wasn't until I saw what Will was wearing did I started laughing out loud . Bee briefly gave me a strange look before he greeted Ironhide and then entered a small house just off the road. Bee carefully set me down in what appeared to be a 'play pen.' I couldn't keep a smile off my face as Ironhide abandoned Will next to me.

'You do realize you're wearing a pink skirt..."

The glare that Will gave me could have frozen fire.

"Ironhide's retaliation has taken a different route then anticipated; however…I am still winning the war."

Oh yeah, this was going to be a party to remember.


	12. Chapter 12: The party begins

On A Different Cybertron

Chapter Twelve

**Okay, I'm adding a new character tell me what you think.**

* * *

"Oh yeah, pink is definitely in style."

I froze when I heard her voice—it couldn't be—I mean I had seen her at the slave processing plant…but I had never dreamed that I would see her again.

"Mikaela?" My voice was hardly louder than a whisper but you could hear the disbelief and surprise in it.

"Do I know you?"

I just stared at her. She was wearing blue jeans and a white T-shirt that highlighted how angel-looking she was. I couldn't believe this was happening.

"Umm—Umm…I …I'm SAM…Sam Witwicky. We went to school together."

"Ohh, that's cool did we have any classes together?"

"Yeah, yeah—umm…math, history…biology, health…" Hell, I finally had a chance to talk to the girl on my dreams and impress her and I was still making as big a fool of myself as I had done before I was kidnapped.

"Ohh, that Sam Witwicky—I'm sorry I didn't recognize you –you look really different."

"—Well, we are on an alien planet….so, you know…." Arrgh, I could slapped myself over my stuttering, "Um, right Will?"

I had finally remembered Will's presence and I shot him my biggest please-help-me look while still trying to look cool.

"Well, I'd say the warfare is different and so are the rules but other than that everything else is surprisingly the same." He said while giving me an amusing look that clearly said he knew about my long-time crush.

"Warfare?" Mikaela stressed slowly, "you think you can fight a war against them and win?"

"Yes, I do—if fought carefully and against the right robots." He scanned across the room and made sure that none of the mechs were paying attention.

"Okay I don't know about your robot but mine can pretty much squish me with a finger."

I wanted to speak up and defend them, defend Bee but I knew I just start stuttering and looking so not-cool. So I just keep listening and shaking my head.

"Yes, but look at it from their perspective—we're very expensive, exotic 'pets' that can help them with basic menial chores?"

"So…?" Mikaela seemed to be getting impatient with Will, looking at him as if he was just some stupid guy in a pink skirt out to get revenge to the point of utter insanity. And I had to admit that I was agreeing with her side.

"Okay, so were basically….thoroughbred stallions."

"I'm a thoroughbred stallion?" The words came out of my mouth before I could stop them and I reddened as Mikaela turned to me and started laughing.

I took it back, this party was not going to be fun. Not at all.

* * *

"Okay, army boy, let me get this straight—your plan is to slowly corrupt the robots city-wide computer systems and provoke semi-serious battles with your twenty –foot killer robot to prove to him that you **have** intelligence."

"Yes—but just think about it—all computer systems have the same basic structure we just have to get in and make some damage preferably with a virus and until then we work on gathering intelligence through careful planning and cunning."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa…" I broke in, not liking where there conversation was going, "Why don't you try to earn their respect I mean Bee loves me and he'd never hurt me."

"Would he ever set you free?" Will voice was harsh and his glare was intense.

"Ummm…." I thought really, really hard because I didn't like the answer, "….no…" I barely whispered.

"Sam," His voice loss some of its harshness, "Hostages often identify with their captors. You have Stockholm syndrome, you need to realize that and stay focused on getting free."

"But I don't have your syndrome-thing, Bee really is nice and he goes to a lot of trouble to make me happy."

"Yeah, 'cause you're his thoroughbred stallion." Mikaela broke in, obviously with Will on this issue.

Outnumbered and surrounded I held my hands up in surrender—"okay, okay, just drop the whole thing with Bee… So, how are you going to come up with a virus?"

"Hopefully we can find a computer whiz that can write one."

"Uhh-huh," This plan was getting stupider by the minute, why couldn't they see that, "where do you find a computer whiz?"

"Play dates" Mikaela said, like something was finally clicking in her brain, "play dates—social gatherings-parties, like the one there having right now, it brought us together—if we can get them to have more robot and humans come then we'll have a greater chance of finding somebody that can do some serious damage."

"Sam, your robot—Bee—he organized this one right?"

"…right…" I didn't like where this was going.

"Can you get him to organize some more?"

"Ummm," They were both looking at me expectantly, "yes…I think so…"

They smiled in triumph and went back to taking about their plans. Mikaela was getting really excited about the idea of destroying the mechs from within. It probably helped that Will had really great looks like Trent did back on Earth-women they're all the same...no matter what planet you're on.

I sat there trying to tune in to their conversation and at the same time avoid it. I felt …I don't know what I felt…I wanted to be free, I wanted to go home, I wanted to connect to other people like me. I wanted to help Will and Mikaela…but it didn't feel right what I was doing to Bee. What was it Will said-I needed to stop identifying with Bee and focus on getting free. Maybe he was right; he is flesh and blood like me, after all…


	13. Chapter 13

On A Different Cybertron

Chapter Thirteen

**Okay I'm really, really sorry I haven't updated in such a long time but I have good news—I was finally able to get a job with my degree. And I really do promise to make a better effort at updating my stories. A few people have shown an interest in having this story updated so I'll start here and then see about my other stories. **

* * *

As the party went on Will went off to focus on the mechs and study their behavior and I was left alone with Mikaela. It was my favorite high-school dream come true…except with a whole lot more complaining.

"And God, all these aliens are just complete jerks." I automatically nodded as she inspected and played with her fingernails. " Will has totally got the right idea. I wish I had a gun I'd put a nice bullet-sized hole in their processors thingies."

"…You know their not all bad—they did throw this whole party for us…and were not dead."

Hell, she went from annoyed to pissed in three seconds. "Get over your stupid Stockholm syndrome—They kidnapped us and sold us to the highest bidder. They don't give us any good food, any comforts, or really anything to do all day. They're EVIL JERKS."

I suddenly remembered the time in third grade when Steve Wilkner stole her fingernail polish when she and her friends were painting their fingers-she ended up pushing him into a desk and gave him a concussion.

"Okay, calm down…I don't think its right that they kidnapped us…I'm just saying that….they can be nice….and….and…if we look at it from their perspective we are really small and have really short lifespans…," she was shoting me what Miles had dubbed the evil jock concubine look, "…and we can't do all that math and equation stuff they do in their heads...Owww." I winced as she smacked me on the side of the head.

"I don't care, Sam, I don't want to be here." She grabbed a fistful of my shirt and pulled me closer. "I want to be at my house with my friends doing my nails and talking about normal stuff like boys, cars, and new cool movies"

"…Okay…then…WILL?"

I looked over to where Will was making his timely return to us. I was glad to see him even if he did look ridiculous in that pink skirt. A little bit of Mikaela went a long way especially a pissed off annoyed one.

"Alright listen up, two more mechs have arrived—a small gray one with flashing headpanels and a really, really tall red and blue one."

I glanced over towards the door and felt my jaw dropped. Tall didn't even begin to cover how huge the new mech was. He even towered over the others. I distantly realized that he was probably the same on that I had seen in Bee's picture when I went exploring. As he moved more into the room I saw a blonde-haired girl sitting in his hand. I felt sorry for her—I got dizzy just _thinking_ how high off the ground she was. Oddly enough the gray one didn't seem to have a human although he was staring at us rather oddly.

"Sam, Mikaela—pay attention to that tall one. It's important to the others. Did you notice how everybody went quiet when it came in and see how they've shifted themselves so he's now the center of the group."

"So he's like their…leader?" I asked Will.

"Yeah, something like that—leader, important religious figure, politician…We need to talk to that girl he's got."

We waited patiently until Bee approached us carrying the new girl. He set her gently down in the designated 'playpen' area. "Hello everyone, I have brought you a new friend. Are you all doing alright over here?"

"Yeah, Bee, we're doing great over here—thanks for asking." I smiled up at him. Letting him know where were doing okay and that I appreciated his concern. He made a happy chirp before heading back to his friends. I turn to introduce myself to the new girl when…

"Your Robot speaks ENGLISH!" Mikaela looked shocked and scandalized.

"Yeah," I answered slowly, "what else are they supposed to speak…French? Spanish?"

"Well, mine sure as hell doesn't understand English."

"Huh…well Ratchet did say that most of them didn't want to clutter their processor with such a basic language."

"Hey Will, does Ironhide speak English to you?" Mikaela demanded.

"Yeah, he has ever since I managed to slice that wire in his arm."

"Ohhh…you sliced your mech?" It was the new girl turn to look shocked and scandalous—"which wire one of the big silver ones or one of the smaller blue-black ones and what did it do?"

We all looked at her in shock. "Oh excuse my manners. Hi, I'm Maggie. Maggie Madsen." Her cheerful voice caught my attention…she looked relatively happy and at ease around the mechs.

Will was the first to recover "It was one of the smaller wires-I'm starting a rebellion…care to join?" He said it so smoothly it could have been a line out of a James Bond movie. I smothered my instinct to glare jealously at him for his able to talk in coherent sentences around girls.

"Sure; I just have two conditions. One, I get to play with all their alien tech and two, no one touches my mech."

"You want to take him down yourself?" Mikaela guessed.

"Hell, no. I like my mech he's a great conversationalist and he really cares and…well you can't really describe Optimus Prime. But trust me he may be the most amazing person I've ever meet."

I nearly laughed as a strange thought cross my mind…maybe we could be Stockholm buddies?….not that I admit to having Stockholm's syndrome but still...


End file.
